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Orange
Orange is a pre-War town that weathered the bombs but later fell to the ravages of the wasteland, namely slavers. The last slaver warlord was removed from Orange in 2268, and the town is still in the process of recovery. The town is plagued by the problems of trade, ethnicity, and security. History Before the War The town of Orange was founded with the name Greens Bluff sometime before 1830, with its name changing to Orange by 1858. The Great War ushered in years of chaos for Orange as survivors struggled to scratch out a living. The area experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century due to seventeen sawmills within the city limits, making Orange the center of the Texas lumber industry. Orange's growth led to the arrival of many immigrants in the late 19th century, including a moderately sized Jewish population by 1896. In 1898, the county built a courthouse in the city, which later burned down and was replaced by the Orange County Courthouse. The harbor leading into the Port of Orange was dredged in 1914 to accommodate large ships. Ship building during World War I contributed to the growth in population and economy. The Great Depression, not surprisingly, affected the city negatively, and the local economy was not boosted again until World War II. A U.S. Naval Station was installed and additional housing was provided for thousands of defense workers and servicemen and their families. The population increased to just over 60,000 residents. USS Aulick was the first of 300 ships of various types built in Orange during the war. The war, Orange declined in population and fortunes. In the late 19th century, the Navy Department announced it had selected Orange as one of eight locations where it would store reserve vessels. The area of the shipyards provided a favorable location, as the Sabine River furnished an abundant supply of fresh water to prevent saltwater corrosion. Local chemical plants expanded, which boosted the economy. The chemical industry continues today as a leading source of revenue to the area. The U.S. Naval Station was changed to a reserve base in December 1975. The Port of Orange became the home to USS Orleck, one of the few naval ships remaining that was built at the Orange shipyards during World War II. Hurricanes would heavily damage the Port of Orange and its reserve ships throughout the 21st century. Orange would weather these devastating hurricanes every couple years but the Navy Department began to debate whether the upkeep of the reserve base was worth the trouble. Before the reserve base could be decommissioned however, the Sino-American War began. Orange threw its full force behind the war effort, and the ships in Orange’s reserves would eventually be put to use on the war in the Pacific against the Chinese. Many men in Orange fought in the war, and Orange’s chemical plants were expanded even further to meet wartime supply. The Great War arrived for Orange much as it did for the rest of the world. Chinese bombers came targeting the reserve base and its chemical plants, and the bombs devastated Orange. Much of Orange near the reserve base and the chemical plants burned for weeks while other parts of the town remained more undamaged. The Port of Orange and downtown survived rather well, and quite a few within the town managed to survive in personal fallout shelters. The largest collection of survivors held out in Orange’s First Presbyterian Church, huddling in the church’s basement. The church’s reverend pronounced the congregation’s survival to be a miracle. The rest of the survivors throughout Orange would also breath a sigh of relief once the sounds of the bombs stopped. However, their troubles would not end with the bombs. Years of Blood The Great War would usher in years of chaos for Orange as survivors struggled to scratch out a living. The first few years after 2077 were rather quiet as most people stayed indoors and scavenged supplies from the ruins or hunted animals. A few unfortunate souls reverted to cannibalism and became a sort of raider gang known as the Bone Suckers. The Bone Suckers terrorized much of Orange and the surrounding area for two years after the bombs while survivors stayed fortified within their little strongholds. The most frequent foes of the Bone Breakers in Orange were Reverend Yaxley, Jan Wayne, and Margaret Evans. Reverend Stefan Yaxley of Orange’s First Presbyterian Church was a strong force against the Bone Breakers, being a US Army veteran who had fought in Korea and Yangtze. Two or three of the other churches had been overrun the cannibals, and many of the other survivors in their houses had also been killed. Reverend Yaxley made contact with other survivors for some time before making his move. In 2079, Reverend Yaxley led his congregation out of his church along with other survivors to break the Bone Breakers. The reverend killed many of the Bone Breakers, and any remaining raiders fled Orange for parts unknown. The survivors celebrated their victory over the raiders with a “feast” that last an entire weekend. Things changed rapidly after the survivors’ victory over the raiders. Reverend Yaxley and other leaders set about creating a council to govern Orange. Reverend Yaxley, Jan Wayne, and Margaret Evans set about redistributing supplies and ensuring the survival of the remaining population of Orange. That would prove easier said than done. Reverend Yaxley would declare himself Bishop in 2080 and became increasingly militant over time. A former shipyard worker, Jan Wayne had set himself up very well with a fully decked-out survivalist bunker in Orange’s downtown, and he had attracted a small following of similarly-minded survivalists who were becoming increasingly worried about the now Bishop Yaxley. Margaret Evans was the matriarch of a rather extensive extended family who tried to keep her people alive rather than provide for everyone. The three on Orange's council were not a good fit, and tensions would boil over soon enough. Bishop Yaxley would eventually become angered by Margaret’s habit of hoarding, and he tried to seize supplies from the reclusive community. Both Margaret and Jan responded violently to this breach of trust, and Orange flared up into conflict once again in 2085. The town warred among itself for for a short time before Bishop Yaxley emerged as the victor. Jan Wayne died in the fighting, and Margaret Evans submitted to the Bishop’s authority. Bishop Yaxley rules Orange for the next twenty four years under a unyielding regime, fighting off raiders and pirates numerous times. Orange remained a stable light within the wasteland while Bishop Yaxley ruled, even if it was a pale shadow of pre-War conditions. Bishop Yaxley died in 2109 of old age, and he was succeeded by his chosen successor, the new Bishop Daniel Kemp. Bishop Kemp was much younger than Yaxley, but he lacked his predecessor’s vigor and iron will. The power of the bishops would grow weaker with each succession. Orange was ruled by Presbyterian bishops for the next forty years, but a new power would rise to the occasion. In the early 2100s, the economy of Orange was mostly based upon scavenging and fishing. However, everything would change once Orangites started finding mutated cattle wandering around outside the city limits of the town. These mutated cattle, known as brahmin, were quickly domesticated by people from Orange to provide a new food source. The Marshall Generals In 2199, the young Phillip of Orange established himself as the first Marshall General of the Slaver Army of Orange in Orange. Freedom with a Price With Luke of Orange on the run, Orange was freed from slavers but still burning from the fires started by the liberating rifleman of the Little Israel-based Gabai family. Government Orange has no established government currently, as the ex-slaves have been skeptical of authority since it reminds them of their former masters. Their are a number of rules within the town that are accepted as law, and that is good enough for most Orangites. However, the Orangites do recognize that they need some form of security to protect them from the ravages of the wasteland. In 2270, they appointed themselves a sheriff to enforce the law and protect themselves. This sheriff did a good job in protecting the town from raiders and violence but turned out to be hopelessly corrupt. In 2273, the Orangites sacked their sheriff and went back to having no one enforce the law. That led to a vacuum that encouraged raider predation and violence between visiting rafters. Nevertheless, the Orangites made do. Five years later, the Mentsh Rifles arrived in Orange and offered their services as vigilantes. The Orangites, confused but a little curious, accepted the Jews as their newest protectors and that has been the arrangement ever since for about ten years. The Mentsh Rifles are the closest things to law in Orange, and that makes many in Orange uncomfortable. Some men like Arthur Scarborough want to establish a government and a security force to replace the Mentsh Rifles, but most Orangites are just comfortable enough with the current situation. Economy The economy of Orange used to be solely based upon slavery. The slaver warlords of Orange sold their slaves to various factions in the west in Texas and the east in Louisiana. At the time, Orange also used many slaves to be ranchers herding brahmin outside town. The overthrow of Luke of Orange led to a complete change in the local economy. Ranching became much more important, and many former slaves scrambled to find new jobs. In time, trade between Louisiana and Texas itself came to stimulate the economy. So, trade and ranching are now the biggest part of Orange’s economy. Culture Orange’s culture is the sum of its pre-War history and its more difficult post-War history. Long before the war, Orange was settled for the most part by Southern whites from the east who eventually became Texans. Many of their descendants persist in Orange. The Texan culture of overblown egos, ten-gallon hats, and meaty steaks has persisted even after the war. Small numbers of blacks and Hispanics also lived in Orange before the war, and some of their descendants remain after the war. Religion is also a pre-War influence that has persisted, with First Presbyterian Church still drawing large numbers on Sundays in 2287. The coming of the Marshall Generals of Orange brought great change to the town. The slavers brought in hundreds, maybe thousands, of slaves to Orange, some who stayed and some who were shipped away. Large numbers of slaves from Louisiana and other parts of Texas, mostly black and Hispanic, were brought to Orange, and many still remain after the fall of the slaver regime. The town was segregated into slavers, freemen, resident slaves, and slaves for trade. The slavers were well-armed and small in number, and they held all the power. Practically no slavers remain in Orange. Freemen were businessmen and community leaders that managed to avoid being enslaved. Resident slaves were slaves who kept in Orange to directly serve the slavers and to herd brahmin to maintain the town’s food supply. Slaves for trade were slaves who were up to be traded elsewhere in the Gulf, and they were mostly kept in the slaves pens near the House of Orange or smaller pens closer to the Port of Orange. After the downfall of Luke of Orange, all the slaves of Orange were set free. Many of the slaves were almost too traumatized to do anything with themselves for a while. Meanwhile, the businessmen and the ranching slaves went to work keeping Orange alive as they had for years. In time, the former slaves of Orange have integrated back into society though scars remain to this day. The anti-authoritarian bent of the former slaves is why Orange has no established government, not wanting to have any “masters” again. The arrival of rafters has brought in a couple people of a more cosmopolitan bent. The culture of these rafters have clashed a bit with the ranchers especially, sometimes with violence. Along with these rafters have come some Jews from Little Israel, Orange’s liberators. These few Jews have mostly come to Orange to help rebuild the town they freed. The most prominent of these are the Mentsh Rifles, who are now Orange’s protectors. The presence of these Jews has led to some discomfort between the Orangites and the newcomers. Many Orangites do not trust the Jewish arrivals, and many of Orange’s most prominent residents have a bone to pick with the Jews. This is mostly relating the Jews interfering with local affairs in various ways. This conflict is ongoing, and the town is going to have to deal with its problem soon enough. Points of Interest Confederate Memorial of the Wind Built before the Great War to memorialize the veterans of the even more ancient Civil War, the Confederate Memorial of the Wind was quite controversial when it was first built. The memorial did manage to win over the community eventually though and attracted a good number of people over the years. The Great War left the memorial mostly abandoned as wastelanders forgot the meaning behind the structure. Currently, the Confederate Memorial of the Wind stands in relatively good condition, but no one ever comes to pay their respects anymore. The only people to come to the memorial now are the occasional brahmin rancher and delinquent teenagers from Orange who like to smoke among the columns. Downtown The downtown of Orange is the heart of the town where ex-slaves, ranchers, and rafters all cross paths. Orange's downtown was much less populated when the slavers dominated the town, and the trade increase has revitalized it, even after part of the town burned down. The majority of the population lives there, and it is the most active part of town most days. Ranchers bring in brahmin, rafters bring in their wares, and ex-slaves go about their business. At night, tired Orangites patron The Flying Dutchman and drink away their sorrows. The Mentsh Rifles keep a close eye on downtown to ensure that things stay calm, and violence has remained at a minimum. First Presbyterian Church Around even before the war, Orange’s First Presbyterian Church has survived the ravages of time quite successfully. The church was a place of refuge for many survivors immediately during the Great War, and the church's reverend became an important community leader for years afterwards. The First Presbyterian Church was around when the slavers took over, and the slavers, after much deliberation, decided to allow the church to continue to exist. The church quietly survived the raider's long rule and continues to serve the community today. Churchgoers make up a majority of Orange's population, as Reverend James Dunning was always kind to slaves who came to him during the rule of Luke of Orange. A pillar of the community, the First Presbyterian Church is a place where religion is still valued in the post-War would. The Flying Dutchman The Flying Dutchman is a bar and inn owned by Arthur Scarborough that services former slaves, rafters, and ranchers with a loving gusto. The building was constructed after the war by a former slaver from Orange's Slaver's Army. That man was a cyborg named Cleaver who did not really want to be a slaver but actually wanted to be a barkeep. That was until 2259 when Arthur Scarborough bought the bar at a good price from the aged cyborg. Arthur has owned The Flying Dutchman ever since, surviving the fall of Luke of Orange with little difficulty. Some in Orange resent Arthur for operating under the auspices of the slavers, but Arthur’s cheerful service, financing, and personal wealth puts those memories at the back of most people’s minds. Most just go to The Flying Dutchman and drink their worries away. House of Orange The House of Orange is a pre-War building possessing futuristic architecture that was once home to a branch of a German-based aviation design contractor and now stands empty. The building was empty for a long time after the war until it was occupied by the slaver family who would take it as their surname for about a century. In that time, the House of Orange was the site of numerous atrocities. The slave pens that held hundreds of human beings were right outside, and the House of Orange also held an assortment of torture and execution devices. The House of Orange held every slaver warlord of Orange until Luke of Orange was forced out by Jews from Little Israel. The building went up in flames as did much of the rest of Orange, and the House of Orange has remained abandoned ever since. The building has been abandoned not only because of its history but also because it is reputed to be haunted. Orangites whisper about the howls and screams that can be heard from the House of Orange at night and on cloudy days. People that go near the House of Orange, especially those within the Mentsh Rifles, also report seeing the figure of a burning woman stalking around the upper levels of the House of Orange in the darkest hours of the night. To many, it seems as if the Burning Lady of Orange is looking for something. What or who the ghostly woman wants is unknown. Some enterprising rafters and younger Orangites have searched for the Lady in the ruins of the House of Orange, but none have never seen her while inside the building themselves. Meanwhile, ex-slaves refuse to investigate because of trauma while the Jews refuse for reasons they keep to themselves. Orange County Courthouse The Orange County Courthouse has served as a military outpost for numerous factions throughout the post-War history of Orange. The building was built in the pre-War art deco style. The courthouse is valued so because of the its makeshift fortifications and its limited supply of firearms. The locations is currently occupied by Elisha Gabai and his small group of Jewish riflemen who seek to assist in protecting Orange from the dangers of the wasteland. The Mentsh Rifles have made the courthouse a sort of second home, and they even have a designated place in the building to hold Shabbat. Many Orangites are skeptical of the Jews' occupation of the courthouse, but nothing has been done to uproot them yet, as they are helping Orange out. Port of Orange The Port of Orange existed before the war as a destination for naval vessels, cargo ships, and tug repairs. After the war, the port has taken on a new purpose as a hub for rafters travelling between Louisiana and Texas. Rafters are constantly present at the Port of Orange, and they are kept under the watchful eye of the Mentsh Rifles. Vessels from Little Israel are, for obvious reasons, a frequent sight at the Port of Orange. Few Orangites live near the port, and most who do not have business with rafters avoid it. That is because of the occasional violence that takes place between rafters of different affiliation, often broken up by the Mentsh Rifles and if necessary further mob violence. Slave Pens The slave pens are a large enclosure outside the House of Orange that used to serve as a holding place for slaves going in and out of Orange. Made of large pieces of lumber imported from Arkansas, the slaves pens were witness to decades of abuse from the slavers who thought nothing of their pain. The slave pens were opened and the slaves freed after the Luke of Orange fell, but the structure remains behind. Because its history and being so close to the allegedly haunted House of Orange, the slave pens remain empty and abandoned. Some say they hear crying and howls from the pens similarly to the House of Orange, but the rumors about the House of Orange have always been worse. W. H. Stark House The W. H. Stark House is a fully restored, 14,000-square-foot Victorian home in Orange that is currently owned by the Scarborough family. Built in 1894 in the Queen Anne architectural style, the W. H. Stark House was originally home to William Henry and Miriam Lutcher Stark, who spent a lifetime collecting rare and unique decorative objects. The house survived the Great War and has had several owners over the years. During the slaver years, a small number of Orange Slavers occupied the building and practically wrecked the place. When Luke of Orange was forced out of Orange, Arthur Scarborough and his family forcefully seized the house from its former occupants. Since 2268, the Scarborough family has lived in the W. H. Stark House and have cleaned up the place nicely. Notable Individuals Arthur Scarborough Arthur Scarborough is a barkeep, a financier, and a trader who has grown to be the richest man in Orange while seeking to someday lead the town as a strong leader. Elisha Gabai Elisha Gabai is a rifleman from Little Israel who helped liberate Orange from Luke of Orange in 2268. Reverend James Dunning Reverend James Dunning of First Presbyterian Church that is a beloved if somewhat controversial community leader within Orange. Naomi Naomi is a former slave and rancher who lives outside Orange with other ranchers among the brahmin. Rebecca Weismann Rebecca Weismann is a trader from Little Israel who came to Orange for more ideological reasons than most. Zeke Zeke is a former slave who has become a hardcore survivalist in the years after his freedom. Quotes By About Category:Places Category:Texas Category:Communities